Johann von der Berswordt

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Title page of the "Westphälisch Adelich Stammbuch" (print edition from 1742)

Johann von der Berswordt , Herr zu Hüsten (* 1574 or 1578 in Dortmund , † February 24, 1640 in Hüsten ) was a Westphalian historian.

life and work

Berswordt was the son of the father of the same name from the Berswordt family and the mother Margarethe Mumm. He was the owner of Haus Hüsten on the market of the municipality of the same name and the associated manor. Berswordt was probably well educated and probably studied. His first marriage was Margarete von Friesendorf in 1604. With this he had two daughters. His wife died in 1635. His second daughter died a year later. In 1637 Berswordt married Maria von Eickel zu Bruchhausen.

He first wrote a chronicle of Westphalian history. This "Historia Westphaliae" was written in Latin. It was a compilation that traced the history of Westphalia from the birth of Christ until 1622 in the form of annals. The work did not appear in print and has only survived in handwritten form.

He was also the author of the book "Westphälisch Adelich Stammbuch", a register of the Westphalian nobility, on which he began to work in 1624. Johann Dietrich von Steinen published the work in print in 1742 together with Hobbeling's “Description of the Whole Münster Monastery” as a contribution to Westphalian history. Both works were not fully completed.

He is buried in the St. Petri Church in Hüsten. His grave was in the choir in front of the sacrament house.

Judgment of posterity

Historians of the 19th century did not appreciate the register. Karl Kletke and Adolph Friedrich Johann Riedel rate the work as a “skinny, mindless compilation, put together without criticism, as if without taste.” However, they approve of Berswordt, who made interesting contributions to moral history, especially for the time he had lived through as a contemporary to have. Johann Suibert Seibertz judged: "... left behind several manuscripts on patriotic history, which make it very regrettable that his hard-working talent, given the lack of literary traffic at the time, lacked the opportunity to try his hand at more varied."

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael Jolk : Haus Hüsten. On the history of a manor suitable for parliament . In: Hüsten - 1200 years. Contributions to the past and present . Arnsberg 2002, p. 34 .
  2. ^ Karl Kletke , Adolph Friedrich Riedel : Source studies of the history of the Prussian state. Berlin 1858, p. 497 ( online )
  3. ↑ quoted from Michael Jolk : Haus Hüsten. On the history of a manor suitable for parliament . In: Hüsten - 1200 years. Contributions to the past and present . Arnsberg 2002, p. 34 .
personal data
SURNAME Berswordt, Johann von der
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Westphalian historian
DATE OF BIRTH 1574
PLACE OF BIRTH Dortmund
DATE OF DEATH February 24, 1640
Place of death Cough